Slashdot Mirror
Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85
darkworm writes "James Doohan, better known to Trekkies everywhere as Scotty, has died at the age of 85. James was suffering from both Parkinsons and Alzheimer's and died earlier today at his home"
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
There's a mirror here and a better obit from CNN here.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
He's dead, Jim! -- Bones
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
Rest In Peace Scotty. You will always be remembered.
It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
I moderate therefore I rule!
--
Travel well, James.
we see things not as as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin
"Beam me up, Scotty!"
"He's dead, Jim."
Ok, now that that's out of the way, I'm sure the rest of the slashdot article comments will be thoughtful, insightful commentary on Doohan's passing.
Such as:
He lost a finger during the D-Day invasion as a captain in the Royal Canadian Artillery.
He was also a linguist, and devised the Vulcan and Klingon lanuages for the original Star Trek motion picture.
He had his youngest daughter in 2000, when he was 80 (!), with his wife Wende, whom he'd been married to since 1975. Way to go, James.
More
"Is the word given, sir?"
"Aye, laddie-- warp speed."
RIP, Scotty.
"Just before they went into warp, I beamed the whole kit and kaboodle into their engine room, where they'll be no tribble at all."
It could be worse, it could be Monday.
Scotty had to be one of the most beloved Star Trek characters of all time and Mr. Doohan really made the character. I only hope that someone somewhere will play Amazing Grace on the pipes for him as he did for Spock at the end of Star Trek II.
may the force be with you!
wait...
... Of all the characters in Star Trek.... He.. was the most... human.
(Thanks for teaching me how to keep my reputation as a miracle worker. I'll be enjoyin' a wee dram in your honor tonight, James.)
Just as Agnes Moorehead didn't want to be remembered only as "the witch", I think it's kind of insulting to James Doohan just to encapsulate remberences of him solely as his most well-known character. Can anyone out there comment on his other roles? (e.g. Star Commander of Jason?) his military service? or his long, long life?
We all know he had a fun, fake Scottish accent and was unparalleled in delivering technobabble in just the right doses for a good episode of Trek, but I'd love to hear the stories of this man that aren't penned by Rodenberry or copyrighted by Viacom.
Anyone have any?
Wait, If Scotty is gone who is going to beam me up?
moo.
The Space Shuttle is obviously waiting for his ashes... That would be fitting. (Depending on the families wishes of course)
"We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan
But the real value that James Doohan brought to his role, and that I value from his life was his enthusiasm. The positiveness he brought to his role came from the heart. He embodied and lived the "Can Do" attitude. Hopefully it was every bit as infectious as the rest of Star Trek and we will all remember that we too 'can do!'
"Can there be a Klein bottle that is an efficient and effective beer pitcher?"
More so than any of the Trek characters, methinks. How many of us here were first inspired into tech geekdom by Chief Enginner Scott?
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
I loved the scene in the documentary Trekkies where Doohan talks befriending a suicidal fan.
. shtml
I found this link which gave more info about that part of the documentary.
http://www.treknation.com/interviews/roger_nygard
Q: Trekkies like to hear anecdotes. Tell us of some funny incident during the production of the movie.
A: Right in the middle of the most emotional moment of our interview with James Doohan the camera ran out of film, interrupting Mr. Doohan in the middle of his story about a suicide note he had received from a fan. He couldn't wait until the camera was reloaded because he was already late to be on stage. The convention security people said there would not be time for a second interview so it seemed like we would never find out what happened to the suicidal woman. We were determined to find out so we waited four hours until after Mr. Doohan spoke on stage and then signed several hundred autographs and then Denise asked him if he could kindly come back to finish his story. Despite being exhausted from the day's convention events, he graciously agreed, and he told us the rest of the story, which became the most touching moment in the film. I can't believe we almost didn't get that story.
It's fitting that he passed away on the anniversary of the Apollo landings.
I'm observing a minute of scottish accent
Pretty Pictures!
A great actor who will be missed by all. So sad that such an extrodinary human suffered the indignity of dying through Alzheimers.
I recommend all Slashdotters honour his memory by donating to the Alzheimer's Association so we can find a cure for this disease.
I had breakfast with Jimmy Doohan once. This was years before I was a famous geek, so I doubt he remembered it long. But I remember him -- a very warm, human, unassuming person. He had the quiet self-confidence of a man who's seen it all, done most of it, lived an upright life, and has nothing left to prove to anybody. The contrast with the brittle personalities and huge fragile egos of some other Trek stars I've met was very noticeable.
I'll miss you, Jimmy.
>>esr>>
Mostly by his 5 year old son I should think.
Sarah Doohan is a girl.
The mind boggles - how much of an asshole do you have to be to have children at that age?
These things are not always planned. It's easy to call other people assholes when you can imagine whatever circumstances you like to support your judgement. Jackass.
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
And all things considered I would bet that Sarah Doohan doesn't mind the fact that she exists.
There is a post on his website - http://www.wilwheaton.net/
...no two people are not on fire.
/me is going to pour some 21 year old Glenlivet on the ground tonight.
:o)
Me too.
But I'm gonna drink it first.
In other words, make a good-faith estimate, then double it, because that's the pad to get it done "faster" than you project. Then double it again, because your good-faith estimate is always optimistic.
RIP, Captain Scott, and clear subspace.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
(Mr. Scott): "Engineering"
(Turbolift Computer voice): "Thank you"
(Mr. Scott): " Up your shaft! "
My father died when I was one year old. He knew he was going to die. My mother knew he was going to die. I am not an accident.
I do not consider my conception reprehensible behavior on the part of either of my parents. I'm rather glad to be here. Thanks mom and dad. The weather is lovely today and I'm angst free about the whole thing, no matter how unfasionable that may be these days.
My mother is rather glad to have me here as well, as was my father's mother before she too passed on.
I am something of him for them; and as I am half him he can hardly have "left" me.
KFG
"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?"
He arrived as the con chair (who was a big 'Scotty' fan) was speaking to the closing ceremonies. They snuck him in unseen and he walked up to her and gave her a big bear hug from behind.
Swinging around to slap him, a growl of disapproval changed to a squeal of glee almost mid-swing.
They later made her a button that read "Feel Me Up Scotty!".
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
RTEFA. (E = Entire)
The last two paragraphs:
In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty" -- a line that, reportedly, was never actually spoken on the TV show.
"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."
I've never known my father; he's never seen me, although he's probably still alive, and he knows I exist. For all practical intents and purposes, he died before I was born.
When my mother told my father that she was pregnant, he gave her some money and told her to get an abortion. She gave the money back, and told him to go to hell. They never spoke after that.
Like me, Sarah Doohan will grow up without a father - but at least she had the opportunity to know him for a few years first. As you say, I'm sure she's glad to be here, even if her father isn't.
Beem him on up to the big NCC-1701 in the sky.
And no bloody A, B, C, or D, either.
Damn right. Not only did he expertly play the character that hooked many a kid on the idea of science and engineering, but was also a decorated war veteran and a genuine class act. He was always warm and receptive to his fans and a beloved fixture of the convention circuit.
This is an important point. Doohan really gave so much back to the community. In the fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) documentary Trekkies, Doohan relates the story of a suicidal Trek fan who confided in him. Doohan took it upon himself to nurse this poor soul back to health. He told the fan that he wanted to see them at the next convention. To his amazement, the fan was there and Doohan graciously met with them, allowing them to come backstage and the whole deal. Doohan tried it again and again the fan showed up at the next convention. They kept this up for a long time (I forget -- it might have been years) when suddenly the fan stopped coming. Doohan feared the worst had happened.
Years later Doohan was stunned when the fan showed up at a convention out of nowhere! The fan told Doohan that they had turned their life around, enrolled in school, and become ... an electrical engineer.
If you haven't seen this film you should definitely rent it. Watching Doohan come close to tears as he tells this story is worth the rental fee right there.
GMD
watch this
In memoriam James Doohan. The longest surviving "Red Shirt" on the USS Enterprise, his "Scotty" set the standard for generations of geeks and engineers. Working with the latest future technologies, often experimental, under a demanding boss for whom FTL travel, teleporters, galactic communications and more firepower than all of 20th Century Earth combined weren't enough to cakewalk through missions on any given week, Scotty's role model has influenced millions of 20th Century predecessors. His ingenuity, fortitude, and sense of humor while telling the boss that his demands are insane, but doable, even under excruciating time pressure floating around a newly discovered dimension, are an inspiration to us all. Mr. Doohan, in your new journey, go as boldly as you led us in all your merely astral journeys on our televisions, and in our imaginations.
--
make install -not war
We have a province called "Nova Scotia" -- New Scotland. A large number of immigrants to Canada in the 18th century were Scots and it permeates many aspects of Canadian culture. Look at our early Prime Ministers... "MacDonald", "MacKenzie", etc.
Sir Sanford Flemming -- world famous Scottish engineer, Scottish descent. Probably the inspiration for Scotty given Doohan's Canadian origins.
Mike Meyers is known to do a scottish accent or two...
John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
Here's the lines from the TNG episode "Relics":
Scotty: "Starfleet captains are like children. They want everything right now and they want it their way. But the secret is to give them only what they need, not what they want."
LaForge: "Yeah, well, I told the captain I'd have this analysis done in an hour."
Scotty: "How long will it really take?"
LaForge: "An hour."
Scotty: "You didn't tell him now long it would really take, did you?"
LaForge: "Of course I did."
Scotty: "Laddie, you got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker!"
And those words are one of the guiding principles in everything I do professionally. I always undersell and overexecute. RIP good man, RIP.
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
I have two, two, two recessive genetic diseases, one of which has the potential to kill me (and always makes my life rather difficult) and the other of which will certainly kill me in time. I have lived much of my life in pain and discomfort.
Life is suffering.
Nonetheless, today the sky is a remarkable shade of blue, the sun is warm, but not too hot and the air smells of summer. I have been sitting down by the river where there is a nice breeze blowing and playing violin much of the morning. I like playing violin.
Life is also the only blessing you will ever receive, and if all it offered me was today I would take it rather than have nothing.
I see no point in self-inflicted psychological suffering when it is just as easy to play violin. I feel sadness for your father, but because he created his own tragedy needlessly.
My father made it out of his twenties, but only just. Rheumatic Fever. There was no such thing as a heart transplant at the time.
Life is suffering; and then you die. If parents never had children to prevent them from suffering and death there wouldn't be any parents in the first place.
Get thee hence and buy the best pizza in town. Enjoy it.
Thank your father for making that joy possible.
KFG
I mentioned this a few months or so ago in the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" thread, but it bears repeating:
Quite a few years back, I attended a convention with a couple of friends, all of us in college at the time. I have no other Star Trek convention experience to compare it to, but I found him to be a great speaker, funny, intelligent, and not in the least condescending as a celebrity all too often can be in public. He was also very straightforward, as a Shatner comment or two demonstrated.
After the speech and the Q&A session, he went outside to sit at a table and sign autographs. The line was HUGE. I can't remember why, but my friends and I ended up at the very end of the line. I don't go in for autographs, so maybe I held them up. Anyway, I wait with them, passing quite a bit of time, as Doohan signs autographs, makes small talk, answers questions, hears the same lines and jokes over and over again, etc. Finally, the last people in line (us) make it to the table. I would have expected any celebrity making an appearance to be happy it was over with, sign something for us and break for the door. Hell, _I_ would have. Mr. Doohan instead greets us VERY warmly, makes a big deal about how much of a pain it must have been to stand in line all that time. Maybe I'm jaded, but I honestly never really expected a tv and movie star to sincerely appreciate his fans. He then tells my friend with the camera to not be silly standing there taking pictures, has us come around the table with him and has someone else take our cameras and take pictures of us with him.
Far too rare of a man. If I remember correctly, his star on the Walk of Fame wasn't bought by himself or his agent as a matter of self-promotion, but by his friends and colleagues of many years who wanted him to get the recognition he deserved. I can't judge anyone's acting talent (ok, maybe SOME people), but acting is what you do, not what you are. And James Doohan was a great human being.
Ignorance is the root of all evil.